Rusty Costanza/The Times-PicayuneDeuced McAllister carried the ball 11 times against the Dolphins Thursday.

Saints Coach Sean Payton said before Thursday night's game the team still had questions about running back Deuce McAllister.

Was he healthy? How healthy? Could he play in Week 1 of the regular season?

The Saints used McAllister as their main back for the first four drives of their final preseason game, a 14-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins at the Superdome. And although the questions about McAllister are likely to persist through the beginning of the regular season, the Saints saw a few more positive signs from him Thursday night.

McAllister took a seat in the beginning of the second quarter, after gaining 30 yards on 11 carries. He averaged 2.7 yards per carry, but few of his carries went 3 yards sometimes he found bigger holes, for about 7 or 8 yards, and other times he couldn't find much room at all.

"We're trying to gather as much information as we can, just to prepare for the season and also to prepare for the start of the season," Payton said. "So I thought he looked pretty good."

McAllister, who is coming off two knee surgeries, also finished with two receptions for 2 yards.

"I was just able to make some adjustments from last game to this game," McAllister said.

McAllister began the game with a 7-yard run. The Saints seemed determined to get him in the end zone on his final drive of the night.

But McAllister was stuffed on second and third downs close to the goal line. The Saints scored on a 2-yard pass from quarterback Mark Brunell to receiver Lance Moore.

That play gave the Saints an early 10-0 lead, and it completed Brunell's night. Brunell finished 6-of-9 for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Several of the highlights came from the Saints' defense and one might have been a job-saving play. Saints cornerback Jason David, who struggled in his previous preseason game at the Superdome, intercepted a pass from Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne midway through the third quarter, setting the Saints up at the Dolphins' 29-yard line.

But the Saints' ensuing drive ended with a missed 40-yard field-goal attempt by rookie Taylor Mehlhaff, who still is trying to earn a regular-season roster spot.

Another productive play from New Orleans' defense came late in the first quarter, when rookie defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis who had missed practice recently with an ankle injury stripped the ball from Henne's hands. Defensive tackle Brian Young recovered.

The Saints then began a drive at the Dolphins' 19-yard line and quickly grabbed the 10-0 lead.

The game deteriorated for the Saints almost as soon as the starters sat. The Dolphins took a 14-10 lead with 0:44 remaining in the second quarter, and Henne came in after Chad Pennington and finished 16-of-20 for 137 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Saints third-string quarterback Tyler Palko, who might have needed a strong performance to gain a spot on the regular-season roster before this weekend's final cuts, finished 4-of-14 for 36 yards in almost three quarters.

The fourth preseason game was a night of rest for several of the Saints' starters, including quarterback Drew Brees and receiver Marques Colston.

For the second consecutive week, Payton spent the days leading up to the game saying it would finally be time for the first appearance of tight end Jeremy Shockey, who broke his leg last season with the New York Giants. But Shockey was not in Thursday's starting lineup, and he did not appear on the field.

He was on the sideline, however, dressed in a uniform. His debut, presumably as the starter, will have to wait for Week 1 of the regular season, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 7.

"I can't call it 100 percent yet, because if he was 100 percent I would have played him," Payton said. "But I think by Monday he's going to be 100 percent, and I feel like we're getting enough work from him during the work week with the quarterback."

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Teddy Kider can be reached at tkider@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3409.